Regret
by Nikichanx
Summary: When Natsu & friends sneak away on a 'suicide' mission, they arrive in a village far past the mountains of Mt. Hakobe. Learning the village festival celebrating an ancient prophecy is about to occur, Fairy Tail is selected as the 'honored guests', with Gray as the deemed 'chosen one'. Yet when another guild threatens the village's treasure, it's Fairy Tail's job to step in! OCXGray
1. Prologue

**Regret**

**Prologue**

* * *

The sky was light blue. Rays of sunlight beamed down on the forehead of a young girl who rested peacefully atop an open, grassy hill. Focusing up above, she stared lazily at the passing clouds as the wind continued to sweep her long brown hair against her face. A broadcast from a faint radio lacrima could be heard in the background - the reporter carrying on with his morning report:

"_We've received numerous concerns regarding the reappearance of the once-famous guild. But first - here's the weather forecast for this morning! Skies are finally clearing up after days of uneasy weather. There'll also be a beautiful moon tonight, so for those who are planning that 'special evening', tonight will definitely be the night!"_

Closing her eyes, the young girl continued to embrace every ounce of warmness the sun had to offer her. Several months had passed since the Grand Magic Games and Fairy Tail's unexpected victory against Sabertooth; our story now, however, begins in a small village just on the outskirts of Mt. Hakobe.

"Do you honestly expect to do this all day, Angie?" came a voice from above.

Seventeen year old Angie Raiden opened her eyes to see her good friend Hayden staring down at her with an impatient look in her eyes. Her expression - more stern and irritated than usual.

"Not now Hayden." replied Angie, shutting her eyes once more, "I'm thinking…"

Hayden Christine pouted as she turned to the radio lacrima beside Angie. Hovering her hand over the small crystalline object, she then switched it off.

"I was listening to that." commented Angie almost immediately as she opened one eye.

"You realize they're finally back after all these years, Angie." began Hayden suddenly, ignoring her friend's response. A brief pause followed as another breeze passed through the grassy hilltop. Angie remained silent. Sitting up slowly, she then focused her gaze on the beautiful horizon before her. Her small town in the distance could be seen just beyond the hill. Surrounding them on all sides, stood a wall tall enough to be about 30 meters in height.

Hayden glanced over to her unusually quiet friend from the corner of her eye. Sighing heavily, her impatient expression then became more calm and relaxed.

"Hayden." spoke Angie finally - her voice now solemn. Scanning the vast skyline, she narrowed her eyes and tucked a loose strand of her long, brown hair behind her ear. A small half-smile then escaped from her lips.

"How do you think it feels to be in an actual guild?"

* * *

**A/N: I wasn't going to do a prologue...but I feel it really sets up the story better than without. There's more to come! Please leave your reviews (although I know it isn't much) ^^; **

**-Nic**


	2. X791

**Regret**

**Chapter One: "X791"**

* * *

"Lucy!"

"…"

"Lucy! Wake _up_~!"

Lucy Heartfilia awoke to the streams of morning sunlight shining through her bedroom window. She let out a soft groan as she turned over on her side, rolling away from the source of unwanted noise. Her eyelids still felt heavy from the previous late night, with the warmth of her bed preventing the blonde from making any sudden movements.

"LUCY!" called the voice one more.

The Celestial Wizard forced her body to sit upright. As she slowly lowered the blanket from her face, she let out a well-needed yawn before choosing to identify just whom the high-pitched voice belonged to.

Her eyes widened at the sight of a small blue cat staring straight at her. Almost immediately, her peaceful expression dropped to one of annoyance and anger.

"Geez, are you gonna' sleep all day!?" whined the cat whipping its tail back and forth. Just then, a lean boy with spiked pink hair rose up from the foot of the blond mage's bed. He scratched his head sleepily. "Hey Happy, what time is it?" he asked in between a yawn.

Lucy blinked twice as she stared at the un-welcomed cat and pink-haired salamander. She grimaced angrily and jerked the blanket back, causing the blue cat Happy to be swept off his feet and collide straight with Natsu's face.

"Hey! What'd ya' do that for?!" exclaimed the fire mage rather irritated - to which Lucy shot him a fearsome glare.

"Just _what _did I tell you two about sneaking into my house without notice?!" she hollered.

Natsu shooed her away, "We tried to ask, but you were snorin' away!" he explained indifferently, "Besides, the window was wide open."

"Aye!" cheered Happy raising his paw.

"I don't snore!" exclaimed Lucy clenching her teeth. "And that still doesn't give you two jerks permission to barge in!" she shouted.

Natsu ignored the angry outburst and jumped on the bed, "Hey, how about we go on a mission today?" he said beaming brightly. "I'm getting bored staying at the guild all day!"

"Aye!" repeated the blue cat once more.

"Shut up ya' stupid cat!" barked Lucy. She paused and looked off to the side. Stroking her chin slowly, she let out a sigh,"Well, I _could _use the extra money, considering my rent's finally been paid off for the month."

"Great!" exclaimed Natsu grabbing her by the arm, "Let's go!"

"W-Wait!" panicked Lucy as she tried to break free from his grasp. "I need to change first!…And shower-"

However, it was no use. The grip of Natsu was far too strong and before she knew it, Lucy Heartfilia was headed down the streets of Magnolia as Happy chased behind.

* * *

"Angie!"

"…"

"Oi, Angie! Hey, are you even _listening_?!"

Hayden Christine stared angrily at her distracted friend - Angie Raiden - as the two now stood in the small local Fishery. Angie, whom appeared to be more focused on the row of blue fish flailing about before her, remained unresponsive to the red head's voice. She could obviously hear Hayden speaking to her, however Angie paid only the barest amount of her attention to her childhood friend. Standing up, she then shot the old, dusty shopkeeper an excited grin, "Hey, what kind of fish are these?"

"Don't ignore me!" snapped Hayden from behind.

"Ah," began the shopkeeper, "Those are actually Winged Fish, found in the notorious Clover Canyon! I can give you a good deal if you're interested?"

Angie widened her eyes in excitement. "So they aren't even from around here?!" she exclaimed. "Are they any good?"

"Delicious!" beamed the shopkeeper with a smile.

"We'll take them then!"

Hayden quickly turned to face her eager friend, "Are you seriously going to waste your money on food again?!"

"I'm hungry!" replied Angie handing the man the money - her stomach grumbling in the process. "Besides it's going to be a long day!"

"You're hopeless."

"If you're looking to cook the fish, I have a fire you can use out back." winked the shopkeeper. "Free of charge for my most valued customer!"

Angie beamed. "Thanks!"

.

.

.

As the two girls headed out of the small shop, they began to make their way down the narrow, cobblestone streets. It was a relatively peaceful afternoon in the village of Almead, with the familiar residents flashing a smile as each one bypassed Angie and Hayden. As the two rounded the corner, Hayden reached into her pocket and pulled out a slip of paper.

"Alright, so we bought all that we need for the festival." she began, examining the small print. "Now all that's left is to go over the ritual performance."

"Why do we even have to do that stupid performance…" mumbled Angie preparing to feast on her new snack. Hayden frowned as she eyed Angie unwrapping the package. "Because it's tradition. Plus, as one of the chief's daughters it's my duty to perform it every year. You know that." She then paused and made a face. "Don't tell me you're going to eat it like that…?" she asked rather turned off.

"Of course I am, what's wrong with that?" replied Angie blinking in confusion. "Besides, the old man let me use his fire out back before we left." Unconvinced, Hayden sighed as Angie then took a large bite of the grilled fish. A moment of silence followed as Angie immediately paused in her steps.

"What's wrong?" asked Hayden turning around.

"BLEH!" exclaimed Angie spitting bits of the fish creature out. She cupped her mouth as if about to succumb to sickness. "That - was the nastiest thing I've ever tasted…" she mumbled.

"I guess that shopkeeper played you for a fool, huh?" smirked Hayden.

The two continued their way down the street until they came to a large fountain in the middle of the town square. "Well," began Angie regaining her composure, "Looks like this is where we part ways."

Hayden blinked, "Wait, what do you mean?!"

Angie placed her hands on her hips and turned to face her friend. "I'm going out to the forest for a little bit, you know, for old times sake!" she said giving a 'thumbs up.'

Hayden arched her brow, "You know, it doesn't really exist Angie." she said looking off to the side sadly. "I don't understand why you continue to - "

However by the time Hayden looked back up, her impatient friend was already gone from sight.

* * *

Meanwhile, even from a distance the loud commotion of the notorious Fairy Tail guild could be heard. In fact, it happened to be so loud, that it seemed to echo far through the streets of Magnolia. Of course the guild of Fairy Tail was famously known for their loud ruckus, yet despite all this, the residents of the large town still seemed to grow constantly annoyed by it.

The guild hall was relatively 'normal' that afternoon. With the young waitress Mirajane serving everyone drinks, the local members eagerly caught up on the latest gossip caused by none other than the guild itself. Cana had already managed to finish her second 'keg' of booze while Elfman continued to lecture Jet and Droy about the true meaning of being a 'man.'

The doors flew open as Natsu appeared in sight with his usual enlarged grin. Everyone turned to welcome his arrival with joyous waves and happy grins while a reluctant Lucy followed close behind. Natsu and Happy quickly sprinted toward the request board - nearly knocking Mirajane over in the process.

"Good morning, Lucy." greeted Mirajane flashing her familiar sweet smile.

The blonde mage meandered her way over to the bar as Mira continued to eye her, giggling softly at her unusual choice of outfit.

"Did Natsu wake you up _again_ this morning?"

Lucy rested her head on the palm of her hand and let out a heavy sigh. "That idiot Natsu rushed me out so quick this morning. I didn't even get a chance to change!" she replied trying to contain her anger.

Mirajane smiled once more and placed an empty tray on the table beside her. "Don't worry, I have some spares." she reassured with a wink, to which Lucy replied with a smile.

"Thanks Mira."

By that time, Natsu was already halfway done with scanning the request board. None of the missions listed however, appeared to even catch an ounce of the salamander's attention. He furrowed his eyebrows impatiently as Lucy approached him from behind. She was now dressed in a short denim skirt and yellow tank top.

"Find anything?" asked the Celestial mage placing her hands on her hips.

Happy lowered his head in defeat, "No.." he whined. "All the _good re_quests must have been taken."

"This bites!' shouted Natsu. He thrusted his fists in the air as he stomped in place angrily. "Just what am I supposed to do _now?!_"

"Oi!" called out a familiar voice from behind.

Lucy, Natsu and Happy turned to see Gray leaned up against the wall. He casually held up a piece of paper as a smirk appeared across his face. "I managed to already snag a request this morning." he replied cooly. "Take a look."

Natsu walked over to the ice mage and leaned in closely to study the faded parchment. After several seconds, he raised his eyebrows as if completely unenthused, "Search for some ancient treasure? _Pass_."

Gray twitched in annoyance and shoved the paper in closer to Natsu's face, "Keep reading Flame Brain." he frowned. Growing more and more impatient, Lucy pushed Natsu aside and examined the request in further detail. As soon as she reached the bottom of the page, her eyes widened in shock.

"Woah, the reward is 800,000 Jewel?!"

Almost immediately Natsu jumped up in excitement, "800,000?!" he exclaimed. "'I'm getting fired up!"

"Aye! Let's do it!" cheered Happy mimicking his good friend's actions. A small pause followed as Gray then lowered the paper. "Just hold on a sec', there's one more thing you should know…"

.

.

.

Meanwhile in the corner lurked a spying Juvia. She remained hidden behind a wooden post as she fixed her eyes solely on the young ice mage. "G-Gray-sama is going on _another_ mission?" she whined, cupping her face in dismay. "That means Juvia won't be able to see him until he gets back!"

"Why don't you just tag along, Juvia?" suggested an eavesdropping Mirajane from behind.

Juvia couldn't help but blush immensely at the mere suggestion, "J-Juvia? Alone on a mission with my dear Gray-sama!?" Immediately her mind flashed back and forth between lustful daydreams.

"-And Natsu, Happy and Lucy!" reminded the barmaid with a smile.

Juvia's head shot up in response to the Celestial wizard's name. "_My_ love rival?! Alone with _MY _Gray-sama?!" She gritted her teeth in anger, "Juvia _cannot_ let this happen!"

.

.

.

Back over at the request board, Natsu, Happy and Lucy fell quiet as they awaited a response from Gray. After several moments, the ice mage crossed his arms and finally looked up, "The request comes from a village called Aldmead."

"Aldmead?" repeated Natsu completely lost. Lucy arched her eyebrow in interest, "What does that mean?"

"It _means _the three of you knuckleheads _WON'T _be taking this request." interrupted a voice from above.

The three wizards looked up to see an extremely short, elderly man glaring down at them from the balcony. It was Fairy Tail's very own guild master, Makarov. Taking a leap over the railing, the master landed directly in front of Natsu, Lucy, Happy and Gray. He then crossed his hands behind his back and spoke sternly once more,"There's no way the three of you will be attending this request alone." the old man began cautiously. A look of seriousness filled his eyes as he looked up at the three wizards.

"Going on a mission like this…would be complete suicide."

* * *

The sound of heavy boots echoed through the dark, empty corridor as a man with an impressively large stature made his way down the hall. His eyes were hidden behind a pair of round, dark sunglasses, while parts of his untamed blond hair covered parts of his stolid face. As he approached the large iron door before him, he adjusted his glasses once more and slowly stepped inside.

The room was filled mainly with plain, worn-out furniture. Two couches sat across from each other and a sturdy desk rested directly in the center.

"Nice of you to join us, Priest." came the gruff voice of a shadowed figure. It emerged out of the darkness to reveal an older looking man with jet-black hair. He walked over to the desk and positioned himself firmly in the cushioned chair.

"You're looking pleasant." he smirked, a slightly amused tone present in his voice.

The man known as Priest remained silent, still holding a frustrated, angry expression across his face. After a moment of hesitation, he reached into his pocket and brought a cigarette to his lips.

"Hope you don't mind." he asked lighting it. Inhaling and exhaling, he breathed out a puff of smoke. "Anyway, is there a reason you've called me here Master?"

"Always in a rush, eh Priest?" came another voice from behind.

Priest closed his eyes and frowned, "I should have known you'd be here." he replied sternly, removing the cigarette from his mouth.

"If you boys are both finished getting reacquainted…" interrupted the black-haired man, "I'd like to talk to you about your mission."

"Mission?" repeated the younger boy, still cloaked by the shadows.

"You'll be collecting an ancient treasure said to possess incredible magic power. It's also known to be extremely valuable." explained the man. He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a slip of paper. "No questions. Here is the location."

Priest eyed the paper as the veiled figure surfaced from behind. It was revealed to be another man, yet much younger and of slight 'taller-than-average' height. He approached the desk and retrieved the slip of paper. His eyes widened as he studied the small print, "Why here?" he asked slightly off guard.

"Is there a problem?" inquired the man at his desk. He folded his hands and leaned in as tension quickly filled the room.

"No." replied the boy.

"Good. Sina will also be accompanying you two…" said the man with a mischievous grin tugging at his lips. "Now, with that being said-" He paused and turned his attention over to the taller man, "I'll be expecting nothing less from you, Priest." With another hint of hesitation he turned back over to the younger-looking one and smirked, "You as well…-"

"…Hunter-kun."


End file.
